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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22736389">Five Times Rey Saw (Half)-Naked Ben Solo and One Time Ben Saw Rey</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayearandaday/pseuds/Ayearandaday'>Ayearandaday</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Background Poe Dameron/Finn/Rose Tico, Ben Is A Snack, Bisexual Rey (Star Wars), F/M, Keep her grabby hands off Ben, Moral Dilemmas, Oblivious Ben Solo, Partial Nudity, Poe is not helping, Rey knows what she has to do, She doesn't know if she has the strength to do it, Sorry Not Sorry, The Author Can't Write Smut To Save Her Life, Thirsty Rey (Star Wars), and a tall drink of water, but no smut, that is the question, to screw or not to screw your roommate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:07:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,720</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22736389</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayearandaday/pseuds/Ayearandaday</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben was there. Shirtless. No, scratch that. In the middle of her kitchen was a fucking marble statue. A living Michelangelo with a freaking eight-pack. And Rey... Rey hadn't gotten laid for a terribly, horribly, excruciatingly long time. She was screwed? No, she’s most definitely was not.</p><p>Or: Rey has one golden rule - not to canoodle with roommates. And Ben Solo is not going to change that. Absolutely not. What can possibly go wrong?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>289</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Ijustfellintothissendhelp</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Five Times Rey Saw (Half)-Naked Ben Solo and One Time Ben Saw Rey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was supposed to be a Valentine's fic, but I didn't get to post it since I had an evening class and apparently arguing in a language you don't actually speak about whom you hypothetically going to ditch from a hot-air balloon in order to get to a desert island is exhausting. Sorry for that!</p><p>As always, many-many thanks to fulcrum_of_pemberley, my amazing beta!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m screwed,” Rey announced loudly, staring forlornly into her half finished cup of coffee. A middle-aged couple at the next table turned to glare at her, scandalized.</p><p>“Well, obviously, but good screwed or bad screwed?” Rose asked with sudden interest. </p><p>“What do you think?” the other girl replied testily.</p><p>“<em>I</em> think,” Poe drawled, “that you could use a good dic... hey!” he yelped as Finn's elbow connected with his ribs.</p><p>“Children here!” the dark-skinned man hissed, nodding toward a mom with two kids who had been glaring at them for quite a while. “But seriously, Peanut, it can't be that bad.”</p><p>Rey sighed. It wasn’t not that bad <em>yet</em>, but it would be in three weeks. </p><p>Sometimes she thought she was cursed, just like those fairytale princesses. Not because she had to sleep for a hundred years (actually, Rey would be totally onboard with that one) or because diamonds dropped from her mouth. No, her evil witch had a particularly wicked sense of humor. Every couple of months, Rey had had to find herself a new roommate.</p><p>It's not like any of them had been bad, either. They all had been nice, decent people, it's just that at some point they had to leave, sending her back to square one. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.</p><p>Rey met Finn during their freshman year and they had just clicked. In another life it could have probably ended with a screen-worthy love story, but it resulted in a beautiful friendship instead. And of course at some point they found the perfect apartment and moved in together; that's what best friends do, right?</p><p>Right. Things were good, which in Rey's experience was too good to be true. Trouble in paradise was bound to happen.</p><p>And it did the day Finn met Poe. No, Rey was totally fine with her friend's love life. She was really rutted for them… until they announced they were moving in together which automatically meant she needed another roommate, and <em>fast</em>. College student plus rent were not a match made in heaven.</p><p>So in moved Jessica. Of course she was no Finn, but she was fun and friendly, shared Rey's taste in music, and was generally a good roommate... until a promotion moved her to the other side of the country. Being the lovely human she was, Jess recommended Kaydel before she left.</p><p>Kay turned out to be a bubbly blonde with a sunny disposition and a giant nail polish collection. For half a year, Rey's nails were Pinterest-perfect... and then Kaydel left for Naboo to pursue a degree in Poli Science. </p><p>In moved Paige, one of Kay's girlfriends. She looked like a supermodel, with  impeccable taste in clothes which she gladly allowed Rey to borrow. To tell the truth, Rey had had a mild crush on her and if not for her rule not to canoodle with roommates, something would have happened. Probably. If Paige hadn't abruptly decided to join the Air Force.</p><p>Rose, Paige’s younger sister, took the vacant place instead. Rey came to adore the girl with all her heart. She was the living embodiment of the “cinnamon roll, but could actually kill you” phrase which delighted Rey to no end. And they often shared the same classes, so it was a perfect fit. Finn clearly agreed. He and Poe hit a rough patch and he hung out at Rey and Rose's more often than not. In hindsight, she had had it coming. As it was, Rey walked in on Finn and Rose in a rather compromising position and the fragile peace was disturbed once again. He ended up staying on their couch (or, more accurately, in Rose's bed) for two weeks, then an agreement was reached, and Rose moved out and Poe moved in.</p><p>The following weeks were tense. Usually an easygoing man, Poe was grumpy, bitter, and difficult to deal with. He and Finn kept staring longingly at each other, making Rose look sad, guilty, and stare longingly at both of them. Who knew how long they would have danced around each other if Rey hadn't lost her patience and suggested them to have a threesome like proper adults. Surprisingly, they follow her advice and hadn’t looked back ever since. A much happier Poe moved out and Tallie moved in.</p><p>The sweet, soft-spoken blonde was a breath of fresh air after all the drama in Rey's life. She had just gotten her Vet degree, worked at an animal shelter, and made the best waffles in existence. Sharing an apartment with her was a treat... until Tallie's father got sick and she returned home to help with family farm.</p><p>In moved Bazine. Only God knows where the two girls had met, as Tallie had nothing in common with the elegant, poised, standoffish young woman. Bazine behaved like a socialite and looked as if she’d be more at home at a Gala or on a yacht than in their humble apartment. But what she lacked in friendliness she compensated for in other traits. Baz was quiet, pathologically neat, and <em>very</em> respectful of Rey's personal space. She never brought home her boyfriends (suitors? Sugar Daddies? Who knew?) and spent most of the time at their places. On top of that, when Bazine finally decided to move in with one of her... SOs, she paid for two months ahead. Yes, Rey was very fond of her.</p><p>Unfortunately, Bazine hadn’t recommended anyone else and one month had already passed. It seemed like everyone had either moved in with their loved ones or was able to afford an apartment on their own. Maybe Rey should have thought considered that, too, but she loved her place with its broad windowsills and sunny rooms way too much. Which brought her to her current problem - she needed a roommate ASAP. </p><p>“Easy for <em>you</em> to say it’s not that bad, but it’s certainly not good either,” she said miserably.</p><p>Her friends sighed sympathetically.</p><p>“Are you absolutely sure you can't afford the rent on your own?” Rose asked.</p><p>“Nope.” Purely hypothetically, Rey could, but the money would be tight and she'd promised herself long ago to never go through that again. Besides, student loans were a bitch.</p><p>Rose hummed pensively. “Poe, what did you say about that friend of yours?”</p><p>The man frowned. “Ben?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“No!” Finn yelped simultaneously.</p><p>Everyone turned to him.</p><p>“Seriously, buddy?” Poe grumbled.</p><p>“Why not?” Rey was genuinely puzzled. Finn was a sweetheart who loved literally anyone.</p><p>“Because.”</p><p>“Ben is currently looking for an apartment,” Rose said nonchalantly, sipping her cocktail.</p><p>“And he's an asshole,” Finn muttered darkly.</p><p>Poe side-eyed him. “He is <em>not</em> an asshole.”</p><p>“He works for the <em>First Order</em>.”</p><p>“<em>Worked, </em>past tense. That's why he has to downsize, normal jobs don’t pay as well,” Poe added for Rey's benefit.</p><p>“He hates his parents.”</p><p>“He reconciled with them. They even do Sunday brunches.”</p><p>“He is scary! And grumpy! And huge!”</p><p>“Are you jealous?” Rose asked incredulously.</p><p>“He is <em>straight</em>!” Finn spat, as if it were a particularly nasty disease.</p><p>“I'm not,” Rey quipped, “and I've lived with girls and nothing has happened, so…” Because, while she was attracted to both sexes, she would <em>never</em> break the golden rule of cohabitation – never, ever screw with your roommate.</p><p>“Come on, guys, let Rey decide on this one,” Rose chastised a sulking Finn. </p><p>“Sure, what do you say, Sunshine?” Poe winked.</p><p>Rey shrugged. It's not like she had much to lose, so she nodded and that was it.</p><p>Two days later, Poe and Ben greeted her at her favorite coffee shop and Rey came to the conclusion that she’d had a completely wrong impression of the man. Because, while Ben was indeed huge and could probably pass as scary, he was also <em>cute</em>. He was adorably shy and had this goofy grin and looked positively yummy, to the point that in other circumstances she would be very interested in getting dinner with him (or just eating <em>him</em> instead). The sad truth of life was that Rey needed a <em>roommate</em>, not a boyfriend. So they discussed rent and expectations and living habits and then had a tour and just like that her problem was fixed. Finally. What could possibly go wrong?</p><p> </p><p>What could possibly go wrong? Seriously? Rey couldn’t believe she could’ve ever thought that. That's not how her life worked. </p><p>Sure, Ben was sweet, considerate, obsessively neat, and a good cook. A win-win-win-win. They’d had a whole two weeks of perfect coexistence until Rey walked into their kitchen in the middle of the night and got her brain short-circuited.  Because he was there. <em>Shirtless</em>.</p><p>No, scratch that. In the middle of her kitchen was a <em>fucking marble statue</em>. A living Michelangelo with a freaking eight-pack. His pecks were bigger than her boobs. His arms were sculpted. And Rey... Rey hadn't gotten laid for a terribly, horribly, excruciatingly long time. She was screwed? No, she’s most definitely was <em>not</em>.</p><p>She probably made a noise (perhaps a choked 'kill me, please') because Ben turned to her.</p><p>“Hey, want some water?” </p><p>As the matter of fact, Rey <em>was</em> thirsty. She wouldn't mind a certain tall drink... except that she would. He was her roommate, for God's sake! He’s <em>off limits</em>.</p><p>Apparently she was quiet long enough for Ben to ask her with concern, “Rey, are you ok?”</p><p>She most definitely was not. Her brain ran a mile a second. Maybe that explained what left her mouth next.</p><p>“Do you have a cowl you can put on?” </p><p>He blinked. “A <em>cowl</em>?” </p><p>“Or a T-shirt,” Rey snapped. “You’re not alone, you know?” She stared pointedly at his chest. His broad, wide, firm chest.... No, no, no. She wouldn’t go down that path.</p><p>Ben smirked. “Neither are you.”</p><p>And then he proceeded to give her a slow once-over to show what exactly he meant.</p><p>Rey was pissed. So, so pissed. Until she looked down and cursed. Her sleeping attire consisted of very short shorts and a very thin camisole, leaving little to the imagination. Well that was embarrassing. Embarrassment leads to anger, anger leads to denial.</p><p>“Well, at least <em>I</em> don't flash everyone with my chest!” she growled.</p><p>Ben raised an eyebrow. "You can, too, I don't mind. I'm all about gender equality." He was still smirking.</p><p>Rey was fuming. Where did her sweet shy roommate go? Who was this... this... ugh!</p><p>She abruptly turned on her heel and stormed off, Ben's laugh ringing in her ears. What a fucking nightmare. She needed to wake up. Or to move countries. Fuck. Her. Life.</p><p> </p><p>Fuck her life. It just couldn't be easy, could it? As much as Rey wanted to forget the whole kitchen incident, she simply couldn't. Not because of Ben. He never mentioned it, to the point where she started to think it was all a dream. A weird dream born out of sheer sexual frustration that haunts you at every inconvenient moment. Yes, she had dreams about her roommate. No, they were <em>not</em> appropriate. </p><p>It took quite a bit of willpower to get the image of Ben's chest out of her brain. Considering the sheer size of it, no wonder it occupied so much of her thoughts. Rey was no quitter, though. She succeeded. It also helped that her roommate took to wearing shirts in her vicinity. Finally, the balance was restored. Until it was not.</p><p>It was <em>hot </em>outside. It was hot inside, too, even with the air conditioning running. Rey wasn’t bothered too much - she grew up in the desert after all and besides, summer was supposed to be hot. You simply roll with it and don't do things like jogging or biking. Simple as that.</p><p>Ben clearly didn't get the message. Why else would he walk into their apartment all sweaty and panting after his morning run?</p><p>“The outside is a literal savannah.”</p><p>Rey should’ve said something. Like "thanks, Cap", or "you don't say," or at least "seriously?" But she didn’t because Ben then took off his shirt to wipe his forehead and Rey immediately forgot how to use English. There was a bead of sweat running down his chest. She followed it with her eyes all the way down. She wanted to follow it with her fingers or her mouth or...</p><p>“… a shower now, OK?” </p><p>Rey snapped out of her reverie. What had she been thinking? What <em>was</em> she thinking? He was her <em>roommate</em>, a no-man's-land, a no fly zone. Look, but don’t touch. And definitely don’t think about Ben in the shower. Naked. And wet. Not. At. All. She groaned. Things couldn’t possibly get worse, could they?</p><p> </p><p>Things couldn’t possibly get worse? Rey totally had another think coming. The day was already shitty. She had barely met a deadline, Maz was out of her favorite cinnamon rolls, and Plutt, the landlord-slash-asshole-extraordinaire, said that he didn’t have time to fix her bathroom lock that week. Rey was itching to give him a piece of her mind (or rather to make <em>Ben</em> give him a piece of her mind), but for that evening her only plans were shower and pizza. Maybe ice cream, too. It’s not like she hadn’t earned it.</p><p>If she hadn’t been so distracted daydreaming, she would have noticed things like Ben’s keys in the bowl, or his work shoes on the rack, or the sound of running water turning off. But Rey <em>hadn</em>’<em>t</em> been paying attention and that’s why she opened the bathroom door without a second thought only to see her roommate in his birthday suit.</p><p>Rey screamed. Ben screamed. The towel he was tying fell. Time stopped. In the back of her mind she knew she should close her eyes, turn around, and <em>run</em>. Instead, Rey was frozen in place, shamelessly gaping at the sheer expanse of Ben’s chest, his defined abs, the tantalizing line of the dark hair that led to… No. She had gone this long not being aware of what her roommate was packing. She could go on perfectly well with her life <em>without </em>this knowledge. As it was, the image of <em>Ben </em>was now burned into her brain. Fuck!</p><p>“Fuck!” Ben yelped, covering himself.</p><p>Time resumed its pace. Rey abruptly turned on her heel and rushed out, red with mortification. She was going to <em>kill</em> Plutt, slowly and painfully. He was a dead man, for sure.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Poe Dameron was a dead man. Not only did he know about Rey’s predicament, he kept mercilessly teasing her. Thank God, her roommate didn’t pick up on that or else she would have had to move to Antarctica. Or Mars, whichever was available. The thing was, Ben was <em>perfec</em>t. He was hot, true, but also sweet, kind, goofy, supportive, and understanding. Rey had lost count of the times they shared pizza while watching silly sci-fi movies or the times he tucked her into her bed after. Ben became her friend, which made him infinitely more precious, and the whole situation infinitely more awkward. It wasn’t funny, dammit!</p><p>Rey should have known better when Poe of all people suggested a beach trip. Just a little get-away with friends, he said. It would be fun, he said. Oh, <em>Poe</em> had fun all right. Not only did he get to watch his girlfriend and boyfriend prance around in beachwear, he also had a front row seat to the fifty shades of red Rey’s face turned when she saw Ben in wet swimming trunks. Fun indeed.</p><p>“Enjoying the view?” the flyboy sing-songed as Rey choked on her lemonade. “No, no, don’t thank me.”</p><p>“Wasn’t going to,” she hissed.</p><p>Poe smirked. “Hey, Benny boy, did you forget your sunscreen?”</p><p>The man in question turned to them. “No, why?”</p><p>“Because I see your shoulders turning pink and I don’t want to explain to your mom why we had to take you to A&amp;E.”</p><p>“That was one time,” Ben grumbled, searching for the lotion. “Give me a hand?”</p><p>Poe smirked like the cat who’s got the cream. “Sorry, mine’re dirty. Sand’s getting everywhere. Hate it, so coarse, rough, and irritating. Rey, though, would be <em>happy </em>to help you.”</p><p>If she wasn’t so pissed at Dameron, she would have wondered why Ben’s cheeks went pink. Could be the heat, though.</p><p>“Sure,” she replied instead. “Ass.” This was for Poe’s ears only.</p><p>The moron had the audacity to wink before sauntering away, leaving Rey alone with the sunscreen and Ben’s massive, broad, pale, muscular back.</p><p>Over the next five torturous minutes, the only thing that kept her from falling apart was imagining in very precise detail all the ways in which she could dismember one Poe Dameron.</p><p>She survived.</p><p>Barely.</p><p> </p><p>Barely was the exact word to describe her connection to sanity. Her day was one hot mess: her colleague messed up, but she ended up being the one who got yelled at, her cramps were killing her, she’d forgotten her umbrella, and her shoes pinched. Wet, grumpy, and irritated, Rey stormed into the kitchen, craving a peanut butter sandwich. The peanut butter wasn’t on there. Oh, the <em>jar</em> was there, but empty. Someone had finished it, but never thrown it away. Rey saw red. It was the only happiness she could look forward to, and it had been cruelly stolen away. Oh, but she knew whom to blame.</p><p>Saint Ben Solo had one nasty habit: he forgot to throw away empty containers. Logically, Rey knew that it could be her, too, but logic wasn’t currently her strong suite. The moment his key turned in the lock she was on him.</p><p>“What the fuck is that?”</p><p>Ben frowned. “Rey?”</p><p>“Where the hell is the peanut butter?!”</p><p>“We ate it?” he asked confusedly.</p><p>“Then why didn’t you throw away the jar? I thought there was peanut butter and… and there wasn’t!” To Rey’s absolute humiliation, she burst into tears.</p><p>“Oh Sweetheart,” Ben tried to comfort her, but she swatted him away.</p><p>“Don’t! I only wanted a sandwich, you ass!” she sobbed.</p><p>After a few more fruitless consolation attempts he left her alone. Rey sniffled a few times more, wiped her eyes, and heard the front door close. Had he..?</p><p>“Ben?” He didn’t answer. His jacket and keys were gone. She burst out crying again. Why did she have to be such a bitch to make him leave? And in such nasty weather?!</p><p>He didn’t return for a whole hour. Rey vainly tried to call him, going straight to his voicemail. The rain hadn’t stopped pouring. Where was he?!</p><p>Finally, the lock clicked. Ben was there, dripping wet and clutching a jar of peanut butter like a proud caveman bringing home a mammoth.</p><p>“You won’t believe it, our usual supermarket is closed and the next one was out of peanut butter of all things and since I didn’t take the car….”</p><p>“You idiot!” Rey growled. “Are you trying to catch cold? Take your jacket off, you’re dripping!” She immediately started working on his shirt buttons, helping him take it off, too. “Did we really need it this much?”</p><p>Ben looked at her with wide eyes. “I only wanted to make you smile.”</p><p>Rey’s world tilted on its axis. She’d just accidentally forced him to take a walk in the pouring rain, stripped him half-naked, and he was looking at her like she hung the moon. Why was he this good? Why did he keep looking at her like that? She was only a woman after all and she had only so much willpower.</p><p>“Sweetheart?”</p><p>Before she knew what she was doing, Rey sneaked her hands up over his bare chest into his wet hair and tugged him down; Ben clearly had no desire to resist, her lips were on his, and then he was holding onto her for dear life.</p><p>Screw the principles, screw the rules, how could something so right be wrong? Roommate or not, in his arms she was home.</p><p> </p><p>Ben was finally home. He had barely survived his usual workday, knowing that he had a date with Rey that evening. And not just a date, a <em>third</em> date. Back when she’d first kissed him they agreed to take it slow, neither wanting to mess everything up. And yes, it was up to Rey to decide and Ben was ready to wait for her as long as needed, but the third date came with certain expectations and he was all in.</p><p>The truth was that Ben had fallen for Rey the moment she walked into that coffee shop, looking like she walked straight out of his dreams. He was drawn to her, immediately agreeing to take the lease, before he realized that she Didn’t Date Roommates. The following months were pure excruciating torture. Poe wouldn’t stop teasing him about his adoration, urging him to come clean to Rey. But Ben couldn’t stomach the idea of losing her, not now that he also valued her friendship so much. So he waited and waited, until his girl had unexpectedly made the first move. Now all he needed was to wait a little longer. Two movie tickets and a booked table in a sweet Italian restaurant were there to help him.</p><p>Oddly, the apartment was quiet.</p><p>“Rey?” he called.</p><p>“In here,” he heard from her room. “I’m stuck.”</p><p>“You’re what?” Ben peeked inside. Rey was standing with her back to him, struggling with her sundress zipper.</p><p>“Can you please..?”</p><p>“Sure.” He reverently touched her bare skin. “Up or down?”</p><p>“Down.”</p><p>The zipper complied.</p><p>Ben cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’ll just…”</p><p>“Stay.” Rey smiled over her shoulder and he froze in place, startled. “It’ll just be a moment.”</p><p>“Um, OK.” Ben turned away politely, his cheeks flushing. There was a rustle of fabric, then silence.</p><p>“You can turn around.”</p><p>He complied and did a double take, his jaw hanging open. Rey was standing there clad only in a tiny pair of lacy white panties and nothing else. Ben’s brain was empty. Any thoughts he’d had left as his blood rushed south. It was the single most erotic image he had ever seen.</p><p>“Ben?” Rey asked softly.</p><p>“Mmmm?”</p><p>“Can you help me?”</p><p>“Mmmu-hu?”</p><p>She smiled sweetly. “Could you please take off your shirt?”</p><p>“What?” he croaked, bewildered.</p><p>“Your shirt please? Off?” Rey politely repeated as he nodded vigorously. “Pants, too.”</p><p>Ben had never followed orders faster in his life.</p><p>They didn’t make it to the movies. Neither cared.</p>
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